Car-replacing frog.



PATENTED MAR. 12, 190 7.

I No. 847,259.

L. PLUARD.

GAR REPLACING FROG.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 10, 1906.

' lean/Emmi UNITE sra rns FIG.

LEON PLUARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO ROBERT W. ANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR -REPLACING FROG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Aonlication filed October 10.1906. Serial No. 338,300.

zen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Oar-Replacing Frogs, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

My invention relates to that class of railway devices which when a car is off the track are used to assist in running the car back onto the track again.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel car-replacing frog whereby the carwheels will be made to move up the inclined surface of said frog and rerail said wheels without the danger of the latter slipping off laterally. This I accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section of a railway-track, showing my improved frogs applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through one of said frogs, drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on. dotted line 3 3, Fig. 5. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of said frogs.

My invention comprises two frogs, one of which is placed against the outside of one rail for elevating the wheels of the car-truck lying outside the track, and the other of which is placed against the inside of the opposite rail for the use of the derailed wheels between the rails of the track.

The frog A for use inside the track consists of a hollow steel casting or drop-forging or pressed-steel form, having preferably a rectangular base (b about, say, three feet long by eight inches wide. It is greatest in height at about its center of length, where it is approximately one and one-third times the height of the rail B, and its upper surface I) inclines in a longitudinal direction from its highest point 0 toward its ends. Its vertically-disposed side d farthest from and substantially parallel to the rail is inclined toward said rail, and its upper surface I) is inclined laterally from its outer side (1 toward the inner side 6 of the frog next the rail, the lateral incline of its upper surface being greatest in the transverse plane of its highest pointand gradually disappearing as the ends are approached. In

*order to keep the frog in engagement with the rail when in use, I have provided the side 6 thereof next the rail with a laterally-proecting downwardly extending hook shaped finger g, which is located opposite the highest point or apex of the frog at a point where the side 6 is about one-half to three-quarters of an inch higher than the tread of the rail. This finger is adapted to reach over and catch upon the ball of the rail, and there is a sha low groove :10 formed at'the point of juncture of its root with the upper surface of the frog to prevent further lateral slipping of the flange of the car-wheel. In addition to the effect which the finger g has upon the rail the frog is kept in engagement therewith by providing the lower edge of the side at farthest from the rail with a series of serrations or teeth It, that bite into the ties O, and thus assist in holding the frog stationary. In order to give the side of the frog next the rail a solid foundation and prevent the weight of the frog and the car being borne wholly by finger g, I rabbet the lower edge is of the side thereof next the rail, so that it can rest upon the edge of the flange of the rail. If the ties are loose and have fallen away from the rail, so that the remainder of the frog will not have a solid support upon the ties, this support upon the edge of the flange of the rail will suffice to prevent injury to the frog.

Frog D for use on the outside of the track, or the master-frog, is constructed on substantially the same lines as frog A, excepting.

that on its upper surface it is provided with a well-defined ridge E next the side thereof parallel to but farthest from the rail, which extends from the centrally-disposed apex F of the frog toward the end corners thereof farthest from the rail. The upper surface of the frog D in the transverse plane of the apex F thereof is inclined from the base of the ridge toward the rail; but this inclination a short distance from the summit is not very appreciable. The distance from the base of the ridge to the rail at the summit of the frog is narrower than near the ends thereofthat is, the approaches to said summit gradually narrow as they extend toward the center. The portion of these approaches nearest the rail are provided with longitudinally-disposed valleys or channels-G, which are more pronounced at the ends of the frogs and get shallower and finally disappear when the summit is reached. In other respects, and particularlyas, for instance, its rail-grasp- 5 ing finger H, its rabbeted longitudinal basal edge I, and its opposite longitudinal serrated edge J-it is similar to frog A.

In operation frog A is placed next and is secured to the rail inside the track in the manner indicated, and the frog D is placed against and secured to the outer side of the opposite rail in substantially the same transverse lane. WVhen the derailed wheels are 10 broug t into proper position and run longitudinally up the inclines of the frogs, the wheels on each side of the truck will at the same time slip laterally toward and when they reach the summit drop onto the rails.

r5 By the use of two pairs of these frogs for a four-wheel truck or three pairs for a six-wheel truck all the wheels of the truck can be elevated onto the track at the same time.

What I claim as new is 20 1. A replacing-frog for cars consisting of a metallic body having one side substantially parallel with the rail with the basal edge thereof rabbeted, and its upper portion provided with a laterally-projecting down- 2 5 turned hook-shaped finger, said body having its upper surface inclined. longitudinally from its central portion toward its ends and transversely from its side farthest from said rail toward the latter, and a shallow channel 3 extending longitudinally of said trans- 3 5 metallic body having its upper surface inclined longitudinally from its central portion toward its ends and inclined transversely from its side farthest from the rail toward the latter, said body having one vertical side par- 4 allel with and provided with integral means to hold it against the rail, and having the basal edge of its opposite side serrated, and a shallow channel extending longitudinally of said. transversely-inclined surface and gradually increasing in depth toward the apex of said frog.

3. A replacing-frog for cars consisting of a metallic body the upper surface of which is inclined longitudinally from its central portion toward its ends and inclined transversely from its side farthest from the rail toward the latter, said body having one vertical side parallel with and provided with a laterally-projecting downturned hook-shaped finger for holding it against the rail, and having the basal edge of its opposite vertical side serrated, and a shallow channel extending longitudinally of said transversely-inclined sur face and gradually increasing in depth toward the apex of said frog.

4. A replacing-frog for cars consisting of a metallic body having its upper surface inclined longitudinally from its central portion toward its ends, having longitudinal channels therein and having a longitudinallydisposed ridge along the edge of said. upper surface farthest from the rail.

5. A replacing-frog for cars consisting of a metallic body having its upper surface inclined longitudinally from its central portion toward its ends, having longitudinal channels therein, and having a longitudinallydisposed ridge along the edge of said upper surface farthest from the rail which upper surface being inclined from the base of the ridge toward the rail in such manner that the inclination is greatest at the summit and gradually disappears toward the ends of the from f n testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. and seal this 3d day of October, A.

LEON PLUARD. [L. s.] lVitnesses:

FRANK Dv THoMAsoN, E. K. LUNDYQ 

